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F. E. BESSLER.

PANEL STAIRWAY.

APPLxcATIoN FILED MAR.28,1918,

' ,3()9,314, atented July 8, 1919.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

THE coLuMnm PLANOGRMH CO.. WASIHNGTQN, DA c.

F. E. BESSLER.

PANEL STAIRWAY.

APPLlcATroN FILED MAR.28,191U

www@ Patented my s, 1919.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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F. E. BESSLER.

PANEL STAIRWAY.

APPLICATXON FILED MAR. 28,1918,

LSQQS Patcntd July 8, 1919.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3` THB COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH co., wAslnNu'roN, m c.

Ull'ITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK E. BESSLER, OF AKRON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE BESSLER MOVABLE STAIRWA'Y' CO., OF AKRON, OHIO.

PANEL-STAIRWAY.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented July 8, 1919.

Application led March 28, 1918. Serial No. 225,271.

' To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, FRANK E. BnssLER, fa citizen of the United States, residing at Akron, in the county of Summit and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Panel-Stairway, of which the following is a specification.

The device forming the subject matter of this application is of that general type in which a stairway is mounted to slide longitudinally on a vertically swinging panel, the panel being assembled with the ceiling of a room, and the construction being such that the panel may be swung upwardly and the stairway retracted, thereby to occupy but little space when the occasion for the use of the stairway has passed.

The invention aims to provide novel means for mounting the stairway Jfor sliding movement, to provide novel means for mounting the panel for swinging movement, to improve the hand rail construction, to provide novel means for controlling the Vmovement of the stairway on the panel and for controlling the swinging movement of the panel, and, generally, to improve and to enhance the utility of devices of that type to which the present invention appertains.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood the changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed can be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

ln the accompanying drawings Figure 1 shows in side elevation, a device constructed in accordance with the present invention, the stairway being lowered and in the position which it will assume when in use, parts of the supporting structure appearing in section;

Fig. 2 is an elevation showing the panel swung downwardly and the stairway lowered, Vas in Fig. 1, parts being shown in section;

Fig. 3 is an elevation wherein the panel and the stairway are shown in raised position; and

Fig. l is a sectional detail showing the means whereby the stairway is slidably mounted on the panel.

In the drawings, the numeral 1 denotes a floor and the numeral 2 marks a ceiling, the floor and ceiling having an opening 3, joists 4L being interposed between the iioor andthe ceiling about the opening. The opening 3 is `l'aced by a lining 5 secured to the joists 4, the line of abutment between the part 5 and the joists 4 being covered by finishing strips 6 attached to the lower surface of the ceiling 2. The lining 5 carries a stop bead 7 extended around the opening 3 and located therein. As shown at 8, the door 1 projects, at the rear of the opening, 3, beyond the adjacent part of the lining 5. The numeral 9 marks a partition which, of course, may be variously located, depending upon the construction of the building wherein the stairway forming the subject matter of this application is employed, the partition having an internal space 10. Hinge members 11 are attached to the lining 5 at the rear end of the opening 3, each hinge member having a rearwardly projecting finger 12 extended between the joist 4: and the floor 1, and each hinge member having a forwardly projecting finger la which extends beneath the projecting part 8 of the floor, to aid in supporting the same, the fingers 12, of course, serving to anchor the hinged members 11 against downward movement. The lower ends of the hinge members 11 aic connected by means of pivot elements 15 with hinge members denoted generally by the numeral 1G, each hinge member 16 comprising a base plate 17, an end wall 18 and an underlying flange 19, the parts 17, 18 and 19 defining a pocket. Each hinge member 16 comprises an upstanding arm 2O connected with the base plate 17 of the hinge member and carrying an upstanding socket 21. The numeral 22 marks a panel inserted into the pocket defined by the parts 17, 18 and 19 of the hinge members 16 and secured to the base plates 17 of the hinge members.

Standards 23 are secured to the panel 22 near to the lower end thereof and are provided, as shown in Fig. l1, with inwardly projecting guides 24. Shafts 25, which may be bolts, are threaded at 26 into the standards 23. Bushings 27 surround the inner projecting ends oi' the shafts 25 and wheels 28 are j ournaled on the bushings, the wheels being supplied on their inner sides with peripheral iianges 29. Nuts 30 are threaded ing pinched between the nuts 30.and1the.

standards 23. Further, since the shafts 25 are threaded at 26 into the standards 23,

and since the shafts are held against rotation by the action of nuts 30 on the bushings 27, the heads of the bolts or shafts 25 will be spaced sufliciently from the outer surfaces of the standards 23 so that sheaves 31 which are journaled on the shafts will not be bound between the heads of the shafts and the standards-all of which will be understood clearly from Fig. 4. It may now be stated that shafts 32 constructed like the shafts are mounted in the upper arms 20 of the hinge members 16 and carry wheels 33 having flanges 34, Fig. 4 being reverted to for a clear understanding as to details, the arms 20 of the hinge members 16 having inwardly projecting guides 35, corresponding to the guides 24 of the standards 23.

A stairway 36 is mounted on the panel 32 to slide longitudinally thereon, the stairway comprising stiles 37, treads 38 connecting the stiles, and a. top step 39 superposed on the treads, the top step being held by meta-l binding strips 40, having rectangularly disposed flanges 41 engaged, respectively, with the top step 39 and with the st-iles 37. As shown at 43, the top step 39 projects backwardly beyond the rear edges of the stiles 37 so as to fill substantially the space between the stiles and the projecting-part 8 of the floor when the device is lowered, and in use, as shown in Fig. 1. The stiles 37v of the stairway 36 are provided on their outer sides with longitudinal slots 41 whe-rein are slidably received the guides 24 of the standards 23 and the corresponding guides 35 of the hinge members 16, the lower edges of the stiles resting slidably on the tread portions of the wheels 28 and 33, the flanges 29 and 34 of the respective wheels engaging the inner surfaces of the stiles, as shown in Fig. 4, to maintain the guides 24 and 35 engaged with the slot 41. From the foregoing it will be seen that the stairway 37 may be slid upwardly and downwardly on the panel 22 the stiles 37 of the stairway riding` on the wheels 23 and 33 between the flanges of the wheels and the guides 24-35.

Anchors 44 are attached tothe outer surfaces of the stiles 37 adjacent the lower ends thereof, the lower ends of "flexible elements 45 being connected with the anchors. The flexible elementsv 45 extend rearwardly and upwardly across the sheaves 31 and thence are extended around sheaves 46journaled on supports 47 carried by the floor 1 andthe lining 5 asY clearly disclosed in Fig. 2. From the sheaves 46 the flexible elements 45 pass through openings 48 in the lining 5 and in certain of the j oists4 adjacent the rear end ofthe opening 3. Direction-clmnging idlers 49 are mounted between the floor l and the ceiling 2, there being any desired number of these idlers, depending upon the position of the partition 9 with respect to the opening 3. The flexible elements 45 are trained across the idlers 49 and are connected with weights 50 mounted to reciprocatein the space 10 of the partition 9.

Posts 51 are mounted in the sockets 21 of the hinge members 16 and are provided at their upper ends with eyes 52. Posts 53 are attached at 54 to the stiles 37 of the stairway 36 and are supplied at their upper ends with eyes 55. Hand rails 56 are mounted to slide in the eyes and 52. Each hand rail has a projection 57 disposed below the oye 55, a -projection 58 disposed above the eye 52, and a projection 59 located between the eyes V52 and 55.l

Adjacent its lower end, the panel 22 may carry a latch 60 controlled by a depending iexible element 61, the latch, 60 being. adapted to coact, when the panel 22 is in a closed position, with a keeper 62 mounted on the stop bead 7 or located elsewhere in the opening 3.

Let it be supposed that the stairway 36 is in the lower position shown in Fig. 1. Then the stairway may be slid upwardly on the panel, the stiles 37 of the stairway riding over the wheels28 and 33. When the stairway 3 6 is slid upwardly over the panel, the weights 50 exert a pull 0n the flexible elements 45 and aid in sliding the stairway upwardly along the panel. Ultimately, the stairway arrives in such a position with respect to the hinged connection between the panel and the supporting frame-work that the panel andthe stairway are oil'erbalanced, whereupon. with the assisting action of the weights 50, the panel will swing to the closed position shown in Fig. 3, the stairway 36 projecting rearwardly and overhanging the Hoor as clearly disclosed in the figure last above mentioned. When the panel 22 is swung to a closed position, the latch 60 coacts with the vkeeper 62v to hold the panel closed. the function of the stop bead 7 being to limit the upward swinging movement of the panel.

When the stairway is in the lowered position shown in Fig. 1, the projections 58 on the hand-rails 56 coact with the eyes 52 and prevent the hand rails from sliding downwardly. Similarly, the projections 57 coact with the eyes 58 and prevent the hand rails 56 from sliding upwardly, should upward pressure be applied thereto when a person mounts the stairway. When the stairway through the eyes 52, in a way which will be understood without difficulty when Fig. 3 is noted. When the stairway 36 is slid upwardly -on the panel 32, the anchors 44: abut against the guides 2li of the standards 23 and limit the upward sliding movement of the stairway. When the stairway 36 is slid downwardly on the panel 22, stops 65 mounted on the stiles 37 adjacent their upper ends, and extended across the slots 41 cooperate with the guides 35 and the upper ends of the hinged members 16, a comparison of Figs. 3 and l rendering clear the operations above alluded to.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is 1. In a device of the class described, a floor and a ceiling having an opening; a lining defining the edge of the opening and coperating with the floor and the ceiling, the door including a portion projecting into the opening beyond the lining; a first hinge member secured to the lining and comprising lingers which project in opposite direetions, one finger' projecting between the floor and the lining, and the other finger extending beneath the projecting portion of the floor; a second hinge member embodying a base plate, an end wall and an underlying flange forming a pocket; a panel having its upper end received in the pocketand secured to the second hinge member; means for pivotally connecting the hinge members; a stairway having a top step coperating with. the projecting portion of the floor; and means for mounting the stairway on the second hinge member and upon the panel for longitudinal sliding movement.

2. In a device of the class described, a supporting structure; a partition' upholding the supporting structure; a vertically swinging panel, the supporting structure having an opening wherewith the panel coacts; a hinge uniting the panel with the supporting structure; a wheel journaled on the hinge, a standard mounted on the panel at the lower end thereof; a wheel journaled on the standard; a sheave journaled on the standard; a stairway mounted to slide on the wheel; a sheave journaled on the supporting structure adjacent the opening; a direction changing idler mounted on the supporting structure; a flexible element trained about the sheaves and the idler, one end of the flexible element being attached to the stairway adjacent the lower end of the stairway; and a weight mounted to slide in a partition, the weight being connected to the other end of the flexible element.

3. In a device of the class described, a supporting structure having an opening; a vertically swinging panel coperating with the opening; a hinge connecting the panel with the supporting structure; a standard on the panel and having an inwardly projecting guide; a shaft threaded into the standard, the shaft having, as coperating elements, a head at one end and a clamping device at the other end; a bushing on the shaft and abutting against the standard; a shcave journaled on the shaft; a wheel journaled on the bushing and having a iange atits inner side, the bushing being retained by one of said coperating elements, and the sheave being retained by the other of said coperating elements; a stairway including a stile mounted to slide on the wheel between the flange and the guide and having an elongated slot receiving the guide; and a iieXible element connected with the stairway and trained across the sheave.

4t. In a device of the class described, a supporting structure having an opening; a panel cooperating with the opening; a hinge connecting the panel with the supporting structure and including an arm having an inwardly projecting guide; a shaft threaded into the arm; a bushing carried by the shaft; a wheel journaled on the bushing and provided on its inner side with a flange; a clamping device mounted on the shaft and cooperating with the bushing, the clamping device constituting a retainer for the wheel; and a stairway including a stile mounted to ride on the wheel, between the Hang-e and the guide, the stile having an elongated slot receiving the guide.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto afliXed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

FRANK E. BESSLER.

IVitneSSeS: i

DOROTHY C. SABIN, AMos H. ENcLnnnoTz.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, B. C. 

